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'Blanket Waiver' Created For Industries During Pandemic Ends

This 2018 photo was taken near the Chemours Company PPA facility at the Fayetteville Works plant. (AP Photo/Gerry Broome)

A federal waiver that relaxed rules for industries during the pandemic expired this week. Advocacy groups say it gave companies free rein to pollute without penalty, and avoid other safety measures. But the Environmental Protection Agency disputes that. 

The EPA has issued waivers in the past for companies in certain situations, like in Hurricane Katrina for example. They allow more flexibility to keep operations going and are usually limited geographically. But a nationwide waiver was issued in March when the pandemic hit.

Oil and gas were among the industries asking for relief because of concerns over worker shortages, social distancing, and other restrictions. In some cases, in-person inspections were halted and monitoring was reduced.

Wake Forest Professor Stan Meiberg is a former acting deputy administrator with the EPA.

“There may have been releases of which we may never be aware and the extent of that isn't clear,” says Meiburg. “The EPA said in its statement to be absolutely fair that they were not sanctioning violations of emissions or affluent limits, that they weren't covered by this particular waiver, but if you don't monitor, how do you know.“

In North Carolina, The Department of Environmental Quality also scaled back testing because of the coronavirus. It approved a request from Chemours Co. in March to pause sampling of residential wells for PFAS because it would require entering elderly residents' homes.

The EPA says it will review exemption claims to see if they were needed and will continue pursuing those who did not act responsibly under the circumstances. 

The COVID-19 waiver ended on August 31.

For the most up-to-date information on coronavirus in North Carolina, visit our Live Updates blog here. WFDD wants to hear your stories — connect with us and let us know what you're experiencing

*Follow WFDD's Keri Brown on Twitter @kerib_news

Keri Brown is a multi-award winning reporter and host at 88.5 WFDD. She has been honored with two regional Edward R. Murrow awards for her stories about coal ash, and was named the 2015 radio reporter of the year by the Radio Television Digital News Association of the Carolinas (RTDNAC).Although she covers a variety of topics, her beats are environmental and education reporting.Keri comes to the Triad from West Virginia Public Broadcasting, where she served as the Chief Bureau Reporter for the Northern Panhandle. She produced stories for the state's Public Television and Radio programs and was honored by the West Virginia Associated Press Broadcasters Association for her feature and enterprise reporting.She also served as an adjunct instructor at Wheeling Jesuit University and Bethany College in West Virginia. She worked with the Center for Educational Technologies in Wheeling, WV, and other NASA centers across the country to develop several stories about the use of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) concepts in the classroom.Keri's journalism career began at WTRF-TV 7 in Wheeling. She worked in several roles at the station, including the head assignment editor. She also was a field producer and assignment manager at WPGH-TV Fox 53 in Pittsburgh.Keri is a graduate of Ohio University. When she's not in the studio or working on a story, she enjoys watching college football with her family, cooking, and traveling.Keri is always looking for another great story idea, so please share them with her. You can follow her on Twitter @kerib_news.

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